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FaithFest 2025 still has room to improve, but offers hope in the midst of struggle.
If you know me, you know that my other great love, besides Jesus and writing, is music. This weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Wilkesboro, North Carolina for a Christian Music festival called FaithFest. If you have no idea what that is, allow me to explain. FaithFest is a two day music festival held in western North Carolina. Based in Wilkesboro, FaithFest’s open air venue is unmissable — you’ll know it when you arrive, because there is a giant white cross erected on the grounds. FaithFest is a great experience for Christian music lovers, and it does have some things I’ve never seen before I began attending. One…
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Remembrance and Honor
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Exploring True Freedom: Reflections on July 4th and Personal Struggles
Happy belated Fourth of July to my American subscribers! Yesterday was a pretty quiet day for my family. We’re fairly low key when we’re home for the Fourth. That is, unless we’re in West Virginia visiting my relatives who live in that area. Once again, my disability has been causing some issues. The wounds on my foot have healed, but I have an ingrown/infected toenail that I am squeamish about getting treated. (Bear with me, I’ll tie back to that in a moment with a disability anecdote. To quote Shakespeare [because I’m a nerd and I can’t resist the reference]: “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” –Polonius…
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True Thanksgiving: Gratitude in Spite of Challenge
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Let’s talk about disability & visibility
So, as we head into the end of 2024, I want to let my readers in on a conversation I had with a friend who is also disabled. I was trying to decide what my final blog of 2024 should be, and she brought up something I hadn’t even considered. There’s a serious issue with people with disabilities being given the opportunity to exist and take up space in the world. Sometimes, all I want is to feel seen. That’s not to say that I don’t have people around me who do recognize what I try to do and give me support. I have an amazing community of family, church…
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True Thanksgiving: Gratitude in Spite of Challenge
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Faith Fest 2024
Back in September I traveled to Wilkesboro, NC, with my mom and two of our dear friends from church to attend Faith Fest. For some reason, this post has been sitting in my drafts for a while. For those who’ve never heard of this event, Faith Fest is a multi-day outdoor concert. There is also the presentation of the gospel by a speaker in the middle of things. They manage to get some pretty big names, and Jason Crabb ( a two time Grammy award winner and Christian artist) is often closely associated with the event and performs. As great as it was to be at a Christian concert, I’m…
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The benefits of rest
Sometimes, we all need to slow down and take a break. Recently, my disability reminded me of this the hard way – by causing a problem with a sore on my foot that became infected. One of the downsides of my disability is that I don’t have a lot of feeling in my feet. This often causes me to have sores or other issues without being able to feel them, or know how bad they really are. To my detriment, I’m also incredibly stubborn. I hate going to the doctor unless I absolutely have to. So when my mother dragged me to urgent care a few weeks ago, I was…
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True Thanksgiving: Gratitude in Spite of Challenge
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Perils of Disability: Fixed incomes and attending concerts
Isn’t it interesting how sometimes, an idea for a new blog post just drops into your lap? At the time that I began working on this week’s blog, I was in the process of preparing to attend a concert in a nearby city with some friends. To someone who is able-bodied, this seems like nothing. It’s easy to forget that what may be simple for you can actually be difficult for someone who struggles with their level of physical ability. Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that the only thing I enjoy more than writing is music. I’ve been singing since I was a young child. My mother…
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Remembrance and Honor
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Nostalgia: Who I used to be vs. Who I am
What makes you feel nostalgic? So, today’s writing prompt actually proves useful. As someone who struggles with disability, I long for days when I could go back to where I used to be vs. where I am now with my diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. By all accounts, I should be able to walk– I actually did walk with the assistance of a walker when I was younger. When I see someone running to get somewhere, I immediately wish I could still walk or run. Even in my walker, at least I had that freedom. It’s not common for a person with Cerebral Palsy as mild as mine to lose their…
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True Thanksgiving: Gratitude in Spite of Challenge
Thoughts on Life, Faith, Disability and the Writing Craft from E.S. McLaughlin
